Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #16

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

Sensation Comics #16

Sensation Comics #16 is both the most offensive and the most entertaining plot that Marston has written in a while. There was a lot of heart-and-soul in this comic. It’s essentially a romantic-comedy with a spy-catching thriller stuck in there too. Think Wonder Woman as a Liam Neeson character catching spies while stuck in 27 Dresses. Or something like that.

The comic starts with Diana receiving a telegram from Etta announcing that she is getting married. Marston spends about half a page with Diana, Steve, and even Colonel Darnell laughing about Etta getting married. That’s right, even Etta’s best friends, whose butts she’s saved again and again, can’t believe anyone would want to marry her.

I mean, who needs enemies when you can have friends like Diana and Steve?

This makes me even more glad that Etta marries Steve. Because seriously, what a bunch of assholes. I hope every night when Steve closes his eyes, he feels guilty for being such a jerk. (Yes, I *know* DC messed with the worlds that the Golden Age stuff is supposed to take place on.) And of course, the only reason Etta sent the telegram is because she wanted Diana there. She even lets her bring Steve along. Continue reading “Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #16”

Wonder Woman Wednesday: Sensation Comics #15

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

Sensation Comics #15Sensation Comics #15 is a very convoluted tale. Mostly, it’s a story about how Diana almost reveals her secret identity to Steve Trevor. I feel like Marston read a Superman comic book about Lois almost finding out about Clark-Superman and thought that Wonder Woman needed that kind of story.

And I have to say, no, Wonder Woman did not need this tale. Especially since she’s been seriously considering telling Steve as she realizes that in order to have a real relationship with him, he needs to know. Especially because you know her mother would have to meet the man Diana was dating.

Anywho, there’s an explosion in Diana’s office while Steve’s there; but during the explosion, Diana’s civilian clothes are destroyed, revealing her Wonder Woman costume underneath. Which leaves Steve being like ‘where’s Diana? OMG, is she dead?” Luckily, Wonder Woman finds a rug, rolls it up, and dresses it in her extra Diana clothing. At first, Steve’s a little bit like ‘wow, Diana looks like a limp rug’ and then he’s like ‘holy cow, arms don’t move like that.’ But Steve believes Wonder Woman as she whisks off rug!Diana to the hospital. Continue reading “Wonder Woman Wednesday: Sensation Comics #15”

Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #14

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

Sensation Comics #14Just when you thought Wonder Woman couldn’t be more wacky, Sensation Comics #14 is told from the point of view of Abies Balsamea, a fir tree. His pals call him Fir Balsam. And he wants you to know that he and Wonder Woman are friends and that he helped her out.

An often underused power of Wonder Woman’s is her ability to talk with animals and plants. In fact, I don’t believe she has used this power at all so far. But don’t fret, Fir and her chat. This is also a Christmas story. Continue reading “Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #14”

Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #12

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

Sensation Comics #12

In Sensation Comics #12, we stay in the world of ridiculous. The ridiculous world of Hollywood. However, instead of being an off-world tale, we have the second resurrection of Baroness Paula Von Gunther. We all missed her and her wacky Nazi antics very much. This also is the last issue in Wonder Woman Archive Edition Volume 1.

Colonel Darnell receives a letter from Supreme Pictures saying they want to produce a film about Wonder Woman. The film’s for patriotism you see. However, Wonder Woman doesn’t exactly have a P.O. Box or phone number. So Diana calls Etta, who then uses the metal radio to signal Wonder Woman.

At first, Wonder Woman refuses to star in the picture. But then Darnell reminds her how the film will serve America (and Steve’s already in Hollywood on a case), and she agrees. On one condition, that Diana Prince, Etta, and Beeta Lambda Sorority accompany her to California. Continue reading “Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #12”

Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #10

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

In Sensation Comics #10, Wonder Woman helps Steve Trevor take down some Japanese and German spies who are attempting to blow up a train carrying soldiers. This is all fine and dandy and pretty much Marston’s standard Wonder Woman plot. But not so fast. There’s a twist.

(Sidenote: This tale features quite a bit of racist stereotyping as the main villain, who actually gets a lot of face time, is Ishti, a Japanese spymaster of some sort. He talks in broken English and stutters over his “s”es. There’s also a brief appearance of a train porter, who’s black and indistinguishable from the porter in the last issue.)

Wonder Woman, especially as Diana Prince, is an obsessed stalker in this story. There’s no question about it; she stalks Steve because she’s jealous. Continue reading “Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #10”

Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Wonder Woman #1, part 2 of 4

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

Wonder Woman Vol 1 #1

In the second story collected in Wonder Woman #1, Diana and Steve go to the circus, which is having a fundraiser for the army’s benefit. The circus turns into the most racist comic I’ve ever read. Unlike other racism featured in Wonder Woman, yellowface drawings and blackface with jive dialog, the entire plot is racist and full of ethic stereotypes of Burmese, along with another Japanese spy.

Wonder Woman solves the mystery of who’s killing the circus’ elephants. In fact, she and Etta team up by wearing a baby elephant suit undercover to discover the culprits behind the poisoned animals. Continue reading “Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Wonder Woman #1, part 2 of 4”

Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #9

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

Sensation Comics #9

Sensation Comics #9 marks the return of one Diana (Prince) White. That’s right, she’s back like a bad rash. Just kidding. But maybe Wonder Woman will learn a lesson about how you just can’t buy someone else’s identity. Or not.

Unfortunately, this issue also contains more racism in the drawings (Dr. Cue) and an overtly sexist character (Dan White) who’s never really called on it.

Diana and Steve are out to lunch together, and suddenly, this guy starts harassing Diana. He’s basically calling her a hussy for cheating on him. But Diana’s never met him. Dan White starts saying, “Don’t you remember our baby?” And Wonder Woman’s like “I’ve never had sex with a man, much less given birth.” Steve’s basically “WTF, Diana? Do you have a secret life?” Confusion abounds. Steve punches Dan in the face so Dan runs away.

Dan White mistakes Wonder Woman for his wife
Dan mistakes Wonder Woman for his property. I mean, doesn't she care about their baby? Hussy.

Confusion until Diana remembers that Dan White is the name of the other Diana’s finance, now husband. D’oh. This is why you can’t buy someone’s identity, Wonder Woman. Unless the person’s dead and the body’s hidden; then you can make a delightful TV show about it.

Of course, more confused than Wonder Woman is the other Diana. Continue reading “Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #9”

Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #8

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

Okay, normally, I make it a policy not to review comics like Sensation Comics #8; comics which are blatantly racist, sexist, homophobic, or ablist, except to point out how very peeved I am. I’m not letting Sensation Comics #8 off the hook, despite continuing my review below. That said, Sensation Comics #8 depicts the first black people in Wonder Woman’s otherwise white world. These black people are workers in a hotel, and because it’s 1942, you guessed it, Peter drew them in black-face and Marston gave them “uneducated” dialog. And throws in some classism or just segregation over how black people are the only ones who take the stairs. FAIL.

Black-face in Wonder Woman Sensation Comics #8
FAIL.

Continue reading “Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #8”

Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #7

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

Sensation Comics #7

Sensation Comics #7 was one long milk ad. I was pretty sure I’d see a milk-mustached Wonder Woman at the end of this.

Interestingly enough, expect for stopping some robbers in the first issue, this is the first time Diana’s gone on a mission for civilians.

On her way to meet stay with a friend in Baltimore, Diana goes missing. What actually happens is she stops to buy milk for a poor woman and her little girl. The woman tells Diana that her son died of malnourishment, and soon her daughter will join him because she hasn’t had milk in weeks. The price of milk has skyrocketed for no reason and they can’t afford it anymore.

The culprit is the International Milk Company. Which is run by a dead woman. Continue reading “Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #7”

Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #5

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

Sensation Comics #5Sensation Comics #5 takes Wonder Woman on adventures in the Navy. That’s right, her position as the military’s savior is not just limited to the Army. Diana doesn’t discriminate.

Here we see Diana filling in as Colonel Darnell’s date — this would be the second time she’s gone to parties accompanying him — since his wife couldn’t make it. Being the Colonel’s date gives her the honor of breaking a champagne bottle against the Navy’s newly commissioned submarine, the Octopus. However, Diana notices it’s too heavy to be champagne. It must be a bomb! So she throws the bottle into the ocean — pretending that her extra strong throw worthy of a World Series’ winning baseball team was just a silly accident. Oops. And good thing she did, as the bottle explodes on impact into the ocean.

Then Diana faints. Because that’s what a human woman would do! (I bet Etta wouldn’t have.) Continue reading “Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #5”